https://www.unescap.org/events/4th-sea-forum-sdg
The South-East Asia Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (Subregional SDG Forum) is being organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and partners from within and outside the United Nations system. It provides governments, development partners, civil society, academia, the private sector and other stakeholders with unique opportunities to develop subregional perspectives and discuss implementing subregional priorities, explore closer multi-stakeholder and subregional networking and collaboration, strengthen SDG-aligned national planning, implementation and progress reviews, and exchange good practices to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Subregional SDG Forum’s outcomes and recommendations feed into regional and global processes, in particular the annual Asia-Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development (APFSD) and the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF).
Five years into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, world leaders have now called for a “Decade of Action and Delivery for Sustainable Development”. While South-East Asian countries have made progress in SDGs implementation, like much of the world, they are not on track to achieve the SDGs.
Moreover, the year 2020 has brought humanity face-to-face not only with a global health emergency but with an unprecedented socio-economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 Subregional SDG Forum will focus on what a “new normal” after the pandemic could and should entail. Its theme and Sustainable Development Goals cluster (1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 12, 13, 16 and 17) are aligned with those of the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) in 2021. On the one hand, it is clear that the impacts of the pandemic will throw long shadows on countries’ capacities to implement the SDGs. On the other hand, it has also become apparent that had the governments prioritized SDGs and made more progress towards them before the pandemic, we would have been better prepared to face it. A strengthened sustainability, inclusivity and resilience agenda therefore needs to be proactively advocated for and shaped, not least through multi-stakeholder and subregional dialogue and partnership.
Objectives
The Subregional SDG Forum will enable an inclusive dialogue among multiple stakeholder groups in South-East Asia on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the context of the socio-economic crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, to exchange views and experiences, and to reflect on how to best implement subregional priorities and perspectives.
The Subregional SDG Forum further provides an opportunity to identify additional needs, including for training materials, tools and operational frameworks to enable strengthened and accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda in difficult times of crisis.
The Subregional SDG Forum will highlight salient points emanating from the discussions and aims to develop partnerships and concrete action plans for the region’s recovery.
What policy tools and changes are needed to ensure that the recovery is inclusive, sustainable and resilient, and consistent with the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda? How to finance the needed spending/investments for economic recovery and for the 2030 Agenda? How can the South-east Asian countries accelerate structural socio-economic transformation and diversification to ensure economic dynamism and decent employment in a manner that promotes inclusiveness and respects planetary boundaries?
The Subregional SDG Forum’s summary of proceedings on key topics and issues raised by participants, as well as presentations will contribute to the APFSD in 2021. These documents will be shared with participants and will also be made available on the ESCAP Website.
Participants
The Subregional SDG Forum is a multi-stakeholder event that attracts diverse interest groups and constituencies interested in implementing the SDGs in South-East Asia. Participants include official representatives from each of the nine ESCAP member States in South-East Asia, various United Nations organizations, civil societies, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, private sector, youth, financial institutions and regional and international organizations.
Duration and venue
The Forum is scheduled to be held virtually from Wednesday, 28 October 2020 to Thursday, 29 October 2020, via MS teams.
Organization
The Forum will be conducted in English and all documentation will be in English.
The Forum will include panel discussions on key topics. Depending on the session focus, presentations maybe delivered by resource persons and experts.
Further Information and Registration
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